SAN FRANCISCO – Preston Tarter pitched his first complete game victory in SF State's 7-4 series finale win over the visiting Chico State Wildcats.  With the win, the Gators keep their hopes alive for a berth in the four-team CCAA Baseball Championships May 7-10 in Stockton, Calif.  The senior pitcher, gave up 9 hits, four runs (three earned), while striking out three and walking no one.

The Gators (16-23, 15-17 CCAA) took a 1-0 lead in their half of the first inning when Nick Jackson had a lead-off single.  He went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Vera.  With the count 0-1, Mark Lindsay singled
home Jackson with a hit through the right side. 

SF State doubled its lead in the second on a two-out single by Andrew Breen that brought in Joseph Chedid who reached base a batter earlier on a double to right field.  Jacob Lopez's two-out single in the third increased the Gator lead to 3-0.  Chad Thurston singled up the middle with two outs.  He advanced to second when Garrett Heisinger walked and scored on Lopez's single. 

Chico State cut the Gator lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning.  Gordon Deacon had a lead-off double and scored on a two-out single by Andrew Carrillo. 

The Gators came right back in their half of the fourth with a four-run inning to increase their lead to 7-1.  Chedid and Breen had lead-off singles to being the fourth for SF State.  They advanced a base on a wild pitch.  Jackson walked to load the bases.  With one out, Lindsay hit a two-run single to right field which brought in Chedid and Breen.  This was Lindsay's 204^th hit of his career, which is second on the Gators' all-time career list.  He is 7 behind Phil Kernan's 211.  With the three runs batted in today, Lindsay is tied for 10^th with 82 in his career on the Gators' all-time list with Phil Gaggero.

Thurston then singled home Jackson to give the Gators a 6-1 lead still with one out and runners on first and second.  Lindsay and Thurston advanced a base on a ground out by Garrett Heisinger.  Lindsay scored on a wild pitch as the Gators increased their lead to 7-1.

Chico State had a chance to cut into the Gator lead in the seventh.  Jeff Ortega and Cameron Santos had two-out singles.  Cody Bistline was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Tarter induced the last Wildcat batter to fly out to Lopez in left field.

The Wildcats (17-22, 16-20 CCAA) made it interesting in their half of the eighth inning.  Deacon reached second on a two-base throwing error by the Gators.  He scored on a single up the middle by Clayton Gelfand.  Then Danny Miller hit the first pitch he saw for a two-run home run to right field to cut the SF State lead to 7-4.  Carrillo then singled, but Tarter induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to preserve the 7-4 Gator lead.

In the Wildcat ninth, Bistline had a one-out single but Tarter stranded him there retiring the last two Chico State batters on a strike out and a ground out to Chedid at second as the Gators won the series finale 7-4.

SF State split the series with the Wildcats winning the opener and the finale, while Chico State swept the doubleheader yesterday afternoon. 
 
Brad Lohse (2-4) suffered the loss for Chico State, pitching 2.2 innings of 6-hit ball, giving up three runs, walking one and striking out three.  Carrillo and Santos each had two hits apiece to lead the Wildcat hitters. 

Lindsay had his 17^th multiple-hit day and fifth three-hit day today going 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored.  Thurston and Chedid each had two hits while Chedid and Jackson each scored twice for the Gators.

?The Gators are in sixth place in the CCAA, three games behind Cal State L.A. who currently holds the fourth and final spot for the CCAA Baseball Championships with two weeks left in the regular season.  They are also just two games out of fifth place which Cal State Dominguez Hills sits in with its 17-15 record in the CCAA. SF State will continue its six-game home stand this Friday, April 24 at 3pm, when the Gators begin a four-game home away series with Sonoma State.  The two teams will then move the series to Rohnert Park, Calif., this Saturday, April 25 for an 11am starting doubleheader.  The series will conclude one week from today with a noon starting single nine-inning game at SF State. 

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